Out of the Blue was an adorable coming-of-age story involving teenage love and struggling to find where you fit in the world. I really enjoyed the relationship that built between Ross and Sean, and I really appreciated the non-binary rep from Ross. liked how the author created this whole background on them, changed from the way many view mermaids. I also like that they have a chance to stay on land if they choose to.

Some aspects of the novel that made this a 4 star instead of a 5 star: some miscommunication that I felt was pretty unavoidable and near, close but not quite cheating?

Thank you NetGalley and Harpercollins for the arc. For some reason I thought this was a graphic novel when I requested it but after I got over the initial surprise and it ended up ok.

I absolutely love this book. I love the way that Jason can dive into gender and gender construct, as well as sexuality. I think that using merpeople to point out how silly gender binaries are was a really smart move. I loved getting to see both characters' perspectives as they go through this journey together and teach each other so much. I love the way that Ross is the catalyst for Sean to learn self-love, and Sean gets to show Ross humanity and humans. I liked the plot twist and where it took the characters.

A modern-day romance with a touch of magic, "Out of the Blue" puts a unique spin on the mermaid tale. The story weaves between two characters - Crest and Sean. One is human. One is a mermaid. Sean is facing the humiliation and heartbreak of a break-up while Crest is being forced into taking time out of the water. This puts the two in each other's orbit and creates a foundation for humor, hijinks, and romance. Crest comes into Sean's life and gives the pair the perfect opportunity for Crest to learn about being human and for Sean to show his ex-boyfriend that he's moved on with his life. The story begins with Crest having a very specific idea of humans and as they get to know Sean their opinion slowly starts to change. Through them, you see this unique perspective on humanity from someone that is entirely new to the species. June offers something original to the idea of mermaids and a love story that everyone has been familiar with since "The Little Mermaid." The story is primarily aimed at YA and NA readers with a modern setting and a romantic comedy structure.

Oof, this made me feel oooooold. I'm giving it 4 stars because the representation is brilliant, and I think the target audience should absolutely read it - it's a lovely romance, very meta, quite silly in places but serious where it counts, and does an excellent job of both playing to, paying homage to, and subverting rom-com tropes. I'm just too old for sixteen year olds talking about their boners to this extent. I'm happy for them and all but I don't want to think about that.

"Were we meant to meet? I believe so, one hundred percent. But I need to live for myself, build my life, follow my dreams, before I can be somebody's partner. I want to find the love of my life, and I think there's a world where Crest could have been that, but I need to love myself." This quote is just an example of some of the very important messages that can be found throughout this book. I think that the idea of a nonbinary mermaid is brilliant because in my brain a lot of times who we are is made up of who we want to be and who doesnt want to be a mermaid? Not to oversimplify the themes of the book because there are so many crucial ones but I think that this aspect of the book really stood out. I will say that sometimes Crest's attitude became a little old and their actions were a little juvenile but I think that comes for the age range of the intended demographic of this story. Overall I thought that this book was good.

The discussion of gender and body image was good and isn't something I normally see in YA literature. A cute LGBTQIA romance and an interesting twist on the mermaid concept. Fun characters and Crest was very well developed. However, the fake dating never felt right through the book, just stiff and uncomfortable. Cheating plot points feel weird and wrong. Hated the phrase "donkey laugh" and the "that's what she said" jokes. I know it's a YA book but both make it seem like it had a middle grade humor/writing style.

"Out of the Blue" follows two POVs--a mer on their first Journey where they must leave the ocean to help a human being and see how humans interact with one another--and a recently heartbroken teen hoping to win his ex back. They decide to fake date to get the ex jealous and take the teen back...only it stops being fake after a few kisses.

A sweet rom-com LGBTQ+ novel! I especially like how Ross/Crest (the mer) is nonbinary!

My main issue with the book was how awful Sean's friend was. Usually rom-coms just have generic background best friend with no personality but this one had the worst personality and made things worse as the book went on. Kinda wish she wasn't included in the first place, lol. Sean and Crest/Ross were really sweet though.

I hadn't read Jason June before, but I was so amazed by this novel that I want more, many more books. It's a story so beautiful and full of humor that it's almost impossible to detach yourself. Sean and Crest/Ross are characters you can't help but sympathize with. There comes a time when everything feels so real that you need to take a minute to process it all.
Full review scheduled for November 21st: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2022/11/resena-review-out-of-blue.html

After reading Jay's Gay Agenda, I knew Jason June was an author I wanted to read more from. So I was thrilled that he published another novel recently. And it was just as enjoyable as his first!

You need to suspend disbelief for Out of the Blue, but it's so worthwhile. I love the world Jason created for Crest a.k.a. Ross in The Blue. So interesting and fascinating! It was great reading both Crest/Ross and Sean's perspectives throughout the novel and I really liked them both. There were more layers to this story than I had even expected going into it. Really well done throughout. It reminded me of the movie Splash, which is referenced in this novel. I also got some Luca vibes from it.

If you're looking for a mesmerizing YA LGBTQ+ novel, look no further!

This book blew me away. I got so much more out of it than I expected. The writing style is simple and easy to read, but the characters are very full people. If you've ever wanted more practice with they/them pronouns, this will also be a great read for you! This is the kind of book that is a balm in a storm. If you're looking for joy, check this one out.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books / HarperTeen for providing me with an ebook of this in exchange for an honest review. In the spirit of full disclosure, since I was so late reading this, I picked up a finished copy from my library.

2.5/3 ⭐️
Overall this was a cute read and I did enjoy my time, but it definitely was not the best book I’ve read.

We follow Crest (who takes the human name Ross on land) and their “Journey” that all merfolk take at 16 to fully grow up in a sense so they can become an elder and help “the Blue” (what they call the ocean) and all that by finding a human and helping them solve a problem they have. Very lore heavy in a sense while not being very lore heavy at all. Either way, Crest runs into Sean whom is the person they end up helping of course. His problem being he wants to get back with his ex that just broke up with him and the fake dating to make him jealous goes off from there.

Maybe it’s my lack of experience with YA romance, but 90% of this plot felt like kissing and sex and the rest was focused on their fake dating to get back our character’s ex. I saw in another review someone mentioning how the plot reminded them of a Disney channel original movie and I would have to agree. It was a very basic plot with the focus on fake dating turned dating. The writing was fine with a few nice quotes sprinkled in there but was overall kinda lackluster?

I’m not sure how to feel. It was nice enough so it was worth it.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Jason June for the chance to read this for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really nice. I liked the character dynamic and the ending was very touching and realistic too. It did get a little boring at some points in the middle, but it was totally worth reading.

Wow, loved this read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This is such a fun book to read and perfect for the spring and summer time. This book was so unique easy and fun to read. First off, I love mermaids and really enjoyed the few "Little Mermaid" references throughout the story as The Little Mermaid is one of my all-time favourite Disney princesses. I also really enjoyed the fact that we got to see mer-people culture even though we were not directly in the ocean with the other mer-people. The romance was a perfect build, it didn’t seem insta-love but it also didn’t drag on for too long and felt real. I also liked that the book didn’t follow the typical contemporary story timeline, where secrets are discovered at the end and the characters realize they love each other at the end. It happened throughout the story which made it interesting from beginning to end. Told by two different POVs, which I am definitely a sucker for a dual POV book, this story has a wonderful rep. I loved the setting and the characterization, how every character, main or secondary, is complex and well rounded. Seeing rep for nonbinary, queer, fat, gay, bisexual was amazing and how the story deals with depression, cheating, grief, loss, hope, belonging and love - I can't express enough how much I loved it. Out of The Blue is filled with hilarious and sweet moments, steamy and rom-coms and I devoured this book in only two sittings. I absolutely definitely recommended it!

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Nonbinary, plus sized, LGBTQIA+ representatives.

This was an amazing story of live, friendship and finding one's self. Crest is completing a journey to the human world, there he meets Sean, someone he can help. I enjoyed this tale and look forward to many more from the author.

Jason June does it again with their new novel out of the blue. I spent months looking forward to this novel, and the moment I had access to it I picked up and read it in one sitting. I recommend anyone check out this book if they are looking for a cute, inspiring, and hopeful story of love and figuring out life.

6/10
This is a cute, queer YA romance with a splash of fantasy.

Crest, a merperson, goes on his Journey-- a custom where merfolk leave the ocean for one month to help and live among humans on the land. When he washes ashore in LA, he meets Sean, who has recently broken up with his boyfriend. Crest (known as Ross to humans) decides that helping Sean get back together with his ex is what he needs to complete his Mer Journey.

This book has the sarcastic and dramatic tone that comes with a lot of YAs. Sean loves romcom movies, so there are a lot of romcom references and tropes used. It was a bit too dramatic and cheesy at times for me personally, but still a fun read for summer and has good rep!

Some highlights:
*Fake Dating
*RomCom lover who wants all the romcom tropes in his life
*Fat, gay MC
*non-binary merperson MC
*consent and sex positive

Thanks to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the idea of this and the representation, but some parts of the story were inconsistent for me, and didn't totally mesh. Something I would still buy for my library and recommend to the right reader.

Nonbinary merfolk rep? Be still my heart! OUT OF THE BLUE builds a compelling relationship between it's two main characters. I have no doubt that students will be eager to read and share this book!